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Sore Throat From Smoking: How to Treat It And How to Prevent It

Last updated: 7 July 2020

how to handle a sore throat when smoking cannabis

It’s no secret that regular smokers may at some point experience throat pain after taking a hit. If you’re one of them, you may have caught yourself wondering, “Why does my throat burn when I smoke weed?” Let us take a closer look and discover the reasons behind this, as well as how to prevent it from occurring.

Why Does Smoking Weed Cause A Sore Throat?

THC and CBD both inhibit saliva production, causing dry mouth (also known as “cottonmouth”). Dry mouth can lead to dry throat, and then sore throat. The act of smoking itself is also rather harsh on your throat and lungs; hot smoke dries out your throat and nasal passages, and the toxins from the smoke itself can be an extra irritant. This combination is what can lead to a sore throat from smoking weed.

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How To Treat A Sore Throat From Weed

If you’ve ever experienced a sore throat from smoking weed, there are some solutions to help alleviate your pain so you can keep on toking. Try these methods and finally feel some relief!

Drink Plenty Of Water

how to treat a sore throat from smoking cannabis

First off, the best way to prevent your throat hurting after smoking weed is to stay hydrated! A sore throat can sometimes be a side-effect of cottonmouth, and the best way to treat that is to keep hydrated during your smoke sesh. Water is a godsend, and making sure you’re properly hydrated whenever you smoke will prevent many of the negative side-effects of THC.

Avoid Hard Foods: Eat Soft Foods Instead

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When you’re sick, you may be familiar with the comfort of eating soft foods like soup, mashed potatoes, ice cream and more. Well, the same can be said for treating your sore throat from smoking weed! Soft foods are soothing and comforting, and will definitely be much easier on your body than chewing and swallowing hard foods.

Tea And Honey Can Help Your Sore Throat

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If your throat burns after smoking weed, your throat may be dry or irritated. Try drinking a nice cup of chamomile or lemon tea with a bit of honey. Honey is a natural remedy for throat pain, as it coats your throat and can help prevent further damage. Lemon and honey together is the perfect combination for soothing any throat irritation.

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Gargle Some Salt Water

Gargling salt water may not be the most delicious method of pain relief, but it sure is an effective one. Simply take between a teaspoon and tablespoon of salt in a glass of warm water and gargle for 30-second intervals for a few minutes – but do not swallow! This will soothe your throat and provide momentary pain relief.

Invest In A Humidifier

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A sore throat is usually a symptom of dry mouth, dry cough or dehydrated bronchial passages. If you frequently get a sore throat from smoking weed, the remedy could be a humidifier. A humidifier pumps moisture into the air and will hydrate your nasal cavities, bronchial passages and throat; a great way to prevent the dryness that causes sore throat in the first place.

Suck On A Throat Lozenge

Especially if you’re on the go, sucking on a throat lozenge or cough drop can help provide instant relief to your throat. Many brands of cough drops contain anesthetics which can help numb your throat and provide pain relief. Other types of lozenges contain natural ingredients like lemon and honey, which we already know to be great sources for pain relief.

Try Oil Pulling

If all else fails, you can try oil pulling with coconut or olive oil. Oil pulling is the act of swishing around about a tablespoon of oil in your mouth for 1-2 minutes, pulling out toxins from deep in your throat. Oil pulling is also said to be good for general mouth and teeth health. It can provide temporary relief to a sore throat, so consider trying it once a week or so.

How You Can Prevent a Sore Throat In The Future

Just because you sometimes get a sore throat from smoking weed doesn’t mean you have to give up cannabis altogether. Here are some tricks you can apply to smoking to avoid the pain.

Try Alternatives To Smoking

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If you experience pain in your throat after smoking weed, try a different method of cannabis consumption. First, try vaporizing your weed. Vaporizing heats up weed without burning it, preventing the release of smoke that contains harmful carcinogens. You could also try edibles, which require no smoking at all and therefore can’t cause sore throat. Other weed options include topicals, tinctures, creams, and basically anything that avoids the physical act of smoking.

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Add Lemon Juice To Bong Water

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If your throat burns after smoking weed, try adding a bit of lemon juice to your bong water. Not only does added lemon juice make your glass significantly easier to clean, but it will add a bit of freshness without the taste of bong water. Lemon juice also contains many soothing properties, and adding it to your bong water will help alleviate some of that burning sensation while you smoke.

Use Fresh Weed

It’s always important to use fresh bud when you’re sparking up. Older weed will dry up and be much harsher to smoke. Old bud can also be unhealthy for your lungs, as it’s prone to developing mold, fungus, or acting as a host to other pest mites. If you find that you have throat irritation from smoking weed, the culprit could be the weed itself.

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Ready To Battle Sore Throat?

There are many different remedies to your weed sore throat that don’t involve giving up cannabis altogether. While it’s sometimes good for our bodies to get a break from smoking, this doesn’t mean you have to quit cannabis completely. Listen to your body and treat it well, and you can prevent yourself from experiencing pain in the future.

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NBW DOUGHBOY
Me: rest for 5 hours straight. My throat:🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡🗡🔪🔪🔪🔪💥💥💥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Me: drinks a lot of water: my throat still🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪💥💥🔥🔥🔪🗡⛏🔪💥🔥💥🗡🪓🗡🪓🗡🪓🔪🪓💥🪓🔪🪓🗡😂🪓🗡💥💥🪓🗡🪓🪓🪓! Me: intense screaming*
1
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anttoekneelok
Great tips as always. 👍🏿👍🏿
1
Reply
Bruh idk
My throat hurts from smoking weed. Swallowing a tablespoon of honey helps my throat somewhat.
4
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Blendi Gashi
I have throat burning after smoking weed. Eating raw lemon with the peel helps
0
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Philly
first time i smoked with my three friends i didn't even expect to get cotton mouth and pain in throat after smoking i felt like spongebob unfortunately i didn’t even have money to buy something to drink 💀
0
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Andrew
Super informative!  Thanks.
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